Trolley adjusting and regulating device



(N`o Model.)

G. F. RANDALL.

TROLLEY ADJUSTING AND RBGULATING DVIGB.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES FREDERICK RANDALL, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

TROLLEY ADJUSTING AND REGULATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 573,535, datedDecember 22, 1896.

Application filed March 31: l 3 9 6 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES FREDERICK RANDALL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley Adjusting and Regulating Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which forni a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for automatically regulating the position of the trolley on electric-motor cars.

The mechanism has a threefold function, namely-z the taking up and paying out of the slack of the rope attached to the trolley-pole, the catching of the trolley-pole when it ies off the overhead wire, and, lastly, the pulling down of the trolley after it has been caught. The construction set forth in this application may be considered an improvement on the construction covered by my previous application, Serial No. 538,011, led February 11, 1895. The said previous application embraces mechanism for taking up the slack in the rope and catching the trolley when it flies off the wire. The new feature of this application comprises the pull-down mechanism and its connection with the catching mechanism, whereby the pulling down of the trolley is automatically accomplished.

vAnother feature of the invention consists of a guide for the trolley-rope.

Having thus briefly outlined the function of the invent-ion and its novel features, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the trolleyadjusting mechanism. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line x Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top view of tlie trolley-guide attached to the hood of the car.

Serial No. 585,598. (No model.) Y

Fig. 5 is a top view of the construction shown in Fig'. 1 with the top plate removed.

Similar reference-characters indicate corresponding parts in the views.

Let the numerals 5 and 6 designate two tubes or hollow casings. To the top of these tubes is applied a plate 7, having a vertical or depending flange 7L on its outer edge. The lower extremities of the tubes engage a base-plate 8, so constructed as to retain the tubes securely in place. This base-plate is provided with outwardlyprojecting apertured lugs S, which afford means for fastening the device to the platform of the car.

The top and bottom plates are'connected by vertical rods 9, located between the tubes, which are separated by a narrow space 10. These rods are fastened by nuts. Hence by means of the rods and the top and bottom plates the two tubes are securely connected and maintained in operative relation. Within the tube 5 is located the weight 12, having guide-grooves formed in two opposite sides. One of these grooves engages a stationary tongue 5, formed on the Yinside of the tube, while the other engages a ratchet-bar 13, having alimited vertical movement. ment of the ratchet-bar is controlled by small bolts 14, screwed into the ratchet-bar and passing through short slots 5, formed in the casing 5.

A block 15, carrying two pulleys 16, is attached to the weight 12 by means of a pin 17. The lower extremity of this pin is enlarged, forming a shoulder, against which bears a The move-- coil-spring 1S, which surrounds the pin. The

upper extremity of this spring engages a shoulder formed on the weight and surrounding the aperture formed in the top of the weight through which this pin passes.

It will be observed that the weight is recessed to receive the enlarged lower extremity of the pin, said recess being reduced at the top, where it is only large enough to allow the pin to move easily therein. The enlarged part of the recess allows the enlarged eX- tremity of the pin a free vertical movement. To the lower extremity of the pin 17 is movably attached a pawl v19, located in a recess 20, formed in the weight to one side of the recess in which the pin is located. This pawl IOO normally occupies an inclined position, its

outer extremity being in close proximity to the teeth of the ratchet-bar 13.

Located in the top of the tube 5 and supported on the plate 7 are two pulleys 21 and 22, while a pulley 23 is located in the top of the 'tube 6 and also attached to the plate 7.

The trolley-rope 34 is connected with the trolley-pole (not shoWn)'-at one extremity, passes through an aperture in the plate 7, thence downward around one of the pulleys 16, thence upward andvover the pulley 21, thence downward around the othervpulley 16, and thence upward over the 'pulley 22, thence out of the tube 5 into the tube 6 to engagement with the pulley 23, its lowerl extremity being attached to the largeweight 24, located in the tube 6. To this weight is attached a handle 24, projecting` througha vertical slot formed in the casin g of the tube 6 and accessible from the outside of 'the tube. Between the tubes 5 and 6 is located a horizontal plate 25, supported by sleeves 36 and 37, which surround the vertical rods 9, which lpass through apertures formed in the plate 25, said apertures being only large enough to allow the rods t0 slip through them. The sleeves 36 yare located above the plate 25, while'the sleeves 37 are located below said plates. The adjacent extremities of these two sets of sleeves form, in eect, shoulders which maintain the plate securely in place. The plate 25 is apertured to receive a dog 27, which is centrally pivoted on the plate, and normally occupies an inclined position, whereby its -upper extremity protrudes through an aperture formed in the casing 5, while its lower extremity projects through an aperture formed in the casing G. The lower extremity 27 of this dog is beveled and provided with a projection adapted to enter a recess 24, formed in the weight 24. The-upper extremity 27C of the dog is curved and normally'occupies a position j-u'st above the topof the movable ratchet-bar 13. The dog 27 is held in its normal position by a suitable spring 2 The operation of the mechanism as thus far described, assuming that the parts occupy the relative positions shown in Fig. 1, is as follows: As soon as the trolley slips off the wire the Vrecoil ofthe spring-pole gives a sud- -den upward jerk on `the rope 34, forcing the enlarged lower extremity ofthe pin 17 against the spring 18, which yields suiciently to throw the pawl l9`into the teeth of the ratchetbar 13, which will be immediately raised sufficiently to operate'the'dog`27 and releasethe weight 24, which will drop downward in the tube 6 and pull the trolley downward sufficiently to prevent its coming in contact with overhead obstructions. The vgravityrof the weight 24 is so regulated as to cause it to perform Athe 'functionlstated It Willbe 'observed that the stop-bolts 14 .preventethe ratchet-bar from rising Vfarther than may be necessary to operate the dog 27 and release the weight 24. Hence as soon as the weight 24 is released the weight 12 is locked against further upward movement and the downwardly-moving weight 24 is free to act on the trolley through the connections described.

As soon as the trolleyhas again been placed on the wire the motorman grasps the protruding handle 24 of the weight 24 and raises the weight to its normal position, when the lower extremity of the dog 27 again enters the recess 24c .and supports the weight until the trolley again slips o i the wire.

As long as the trolley is on the wire the weight 12 gradually rises and falls within the tube 5, taking up the slack and paying out the rope accordingto the variations in the height of the trolley in dierent parts of the system.

The device illustrated in Fig. 4 comprises a bracket 29 and a curved spring 30,having one extremity made fast to the bracket which is secured to the hood 3l of the car. The bracket is hollowedout and forms, in connection with the spring, a circular passage, through which the trolley-rope passes and within whose limits it is normally coniined. The extremity of the spring normally-engages the bracket and closes the circular'passage-Way. The spring,

however, is suiciently yielding yto allow the trolley-rope to be thrown lin and-out of posi tion at the will 0f the person in charge of the car. The free extremity of the -spring 30 vcurves outward, as shown at 30, forming a sort of hook, against which'the rope is dra-wn when it is desired to slip it into the guideway formed by the bracket and spring.

Though I have shown and described two distinct tubes 5 and 6, suitably connected, I do not limit the invention to this specific construction, as I am aware that any casing adapted to contain the two weights andarranged to support the movable ratchet-bar and the dog 27 in operative relation with the other parts may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is IOO IIO

1. In a device of the character described, l the combination of a casing comprising two compartments 5 and 6, the compartment 5 having aweight provided with a yielding pin, a block and pulley attached to said pin, the

pulley being engaged by the trolleyrope, a A

ported in the upper part of the compartment '6 and also engaged by the trolley-rope, la

weight locatedin the compartment 6, and `to which the 'trolley-'rope is attached, and 'a spring-held dogsuitably supported and lh'av- A y,

ing one extremity'norm'ally projecting into the path of the ratchet-bar, 'While the -other' extremity engages and supports the weight in the compartment 6, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a casing comprising two compartments, 5 and 6: two weights, one located in each compartment, a yielding pin attached to the weight in compartment 5 and having a limited vertical movement, a pawl pivoted on said pin and a spring-held dog suitably supported and having one extremity normally'projecting into the path of the ratchet-bar7 and the other extremity engaging and supporting the weight in compartment 6, the trolley-rope being connected with the weights in the two compartments, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with two weights, l2

and 24, of a receptacle adapted to contain said weights, a yielding pin attached to the weight l2, a pawl pivoted on the pin, a Vertically-movable ratchet-bar located in suitable proximity to the weight 12, a springheld dog suitably supported and having one extremity normally projecting into the path of the ratchet-bar, while the other extremity engages and supports the weight 24, and a suitable trolley-rope connected with the weights, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES FREDERICK RANDALL. Witnesses:

ELTHAN R. P. IWIACKINNON, ISAAC W. HIGGs. 

